Telephone attachment.



J. 01 MOISSON.

TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED JULY 5. 1916.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

R W M d J ATTORNEYS WITNESSES STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN OSCAR MOISSON, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

mnnnrnoivn A'rmcmunm.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN O. MOISSON, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Charleston, in the county of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented a new and Improved Telephone Attachment, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to telephones and deals particularly with means for causing a signal to be sounded when the user of the telephone leaves the receiver oif the hook,

.which is a great source of annoyance to telephone companies as seventy-five per cent. of all telephone trouble is claimed by the companiesto be due to this neglect on the part of telephone users. en a receiver is left off the hook the telephone is reported Busy and then Out of order) This causes loss of calls, and in the case of a party line all the telephones on that line are deprived of all incoming and outgoing calls.

The invention has for its general objects to provide a signal device of the class described which is of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction, compact and light in weight and so designed that it can be readily used as an attachment for wall or desk telephones to which the attachment can be fastened expeditiously andwitho'ut any special skill being required. 1

A more specific object of the inventio is the provision of an electric signal device which includes a dry cell, abuzzer or bell, a pushbutton and a switch, these various parts being connected together and so arranged that the switch and buzzer can be applied to the telephone box or stand at any suitable place, and the switch is combined with the receiver fork so that when the latter is'raised, the circuit will be in operative condition to permit it to be closed when the pushbutton is pressed, the pushbutton bedesk telephone stand, so that when the reing arranged on the receiver or on the ceiver or stand is held in the hand the pushbutton can be pressed and kept pressed as long as the conversation is going on, and if,

.after the conversation is completed, the receiver is not placed on the hook and the re ceiver or stand is released from the hand, the hell or buzzer will be sounded so as to warn the user that, the receiver has been left oif the hook and must be replaced.

With such objects in view, and others Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Jan. 9, 191 '7.

Application filed July 5, 1916. Serial No. 107,550.

- which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, ,which illustrates one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure .1 is a front view of a wall telephone set with the signal attachment applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pushbutton and means for fastening it to -a receiver or desk telephone stand; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit connections.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a-telephone set of the wall type, of which 1 is the transmitter, 2 the battery box, 3 the bells, 4 the receiver and 5 the receiver fork. While the invention is shown in connection with this type of telephone set it is to be understood that it can be readily applied to a desk telephone. The signal attachment B comprises adrv cell or battery 6, a buzzer or other audible signal device 7, a pushbut ton 8, and a switch 9'for1ned of members 5 and 10. The cell and buzzer can be mount ed on an attaching plate 11 which can be fastened to the battery box of the telephone.- One terminal of the cell is connected by a wire 12 with one terminal of the buzzer, and the other terminal of the buzzer is connected by a wire 13 with the contact 10 of the switch, said contact being fastened to the side of the battery box at a point just above the receiver hook 5. A cord 14 connects the battery and switch with the pushbutton 8. This pushbutton is of the usual constructionbut is fastened in place by a clamping ring 15 which embraces the receiver 4, or

which may embrace the stand of a desk telephone so that when the receiver or desk telephone is taken up by the hand, the thumb circuit, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 3. When the receiver is removed from the fork the buzzer will sound, unless the pushbutton is pressed, which will be done when the subscriber is using the telephone, but if the receiver is not returned to the hook and the finger removed from the pushbutton, as when a person inadvertently or negligently fails to restore the receiver after a conversation, the buzzer will sound and thus warn the subscriber that the receiver should be returned to the hook. 7

It will be noted that the attachment is a unitary device and can be readily applied to a telephone without'any alteration in the design thereof, and that it can be as easily removed whenever required and placed on another telephone.

From-the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of 7 operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to. have it understood that the device shown is merely.illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope of the appended claims,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An attachment for telephones of the class described, comprising a source of: current, a signal connected in circuit therewith, a normally closed pushbutton adapted to be attached to a telephone receiver or desk telephone stand and connected with the circuit, and switch contacts in the circuit, one of which is adapted to be connected with the receiver hook of the telephone, whereby the latter will make contact with the other contact and complete the circuit when the receiver hook is raised.

2. A signal attachment of the class described comprising a cell, a signal device connected with one terminal thereof, a contact connected with the signal device, a pushbutton, means for connecting the pushbutton with the telephone receiver or desk telephone stand, and a cord conductor extending from the pushbutton and having one Wire connected with the terminal of the cell and another Wire provided with means for engaging with-the receiver hook of the telephone, whereby the latter cooperates with the first-mentioned contact to close the circuit. I

3. The combination of a telephone set, with a signal attachment comprising a source of current, a signal connected therewith, a pushbutton applied to a part of the telephone set gripped while conversing and adapted to be pressed to hold the circuit of the signal and source of current open, a conductor leading from one terminal of the pushbutton to the said source, a conductor leading from the other terminal of the pushbutton, a clip on the last-mentioned eonductor for engaging with the receiver hook of the telephone set, and a contact fixed with respect to the telephone hook for engagement by the latter when the receiver is removed, said last-mentioned contact being connected with the signal.

JOHN OSCAR MOISSON. 

